Lock for mail catcher arm supporting bar



E. L. WOOLSEY LOCK FOR MAIL CATCHER ARM SUPPORTING BARS Nov. 30, 1937.

Filed Dec. 10, 1956 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 LOCK FOR MAIL CATGHER ARM SUPPORT- ING BAR Ernest L. Woolsey,

Council Bluffs, Iowa Application December 10, 1936, Serial No. 115,061'

6 Claims.

My invention relates to mail catcher structure usually employed on railway cars for catching mail pouches, and particularly to improved locking means for locking and securing in operative position the horizontal bar. which supports the mail catcher block and catcher arm extending therefrom.

When a mail catcher is to be used, its supporting bar is extended across the doorway of the mail car and supported in hangers secured to the outside of the car. Provision is usually made for shifting the bar with the catcher thereon away from the door opening after a catch has been made. In some arrangements, the bar is shifted longitudinally in guideways on the outside of the ment generally used involves an elastic abutment on the bar abutting the hanger adjacent to the arm carrying-block for taking up the pouch catching impact, and a pin inserted through a diametrical hole in the bar at the opposite side of the hanger serves to hold the bar against escape from the hanger during recoil movement of thecatchen An important object of my invention is to provide, in place of such pin, a more practical and efficient locking structure more readily applicable to the end of the bar. In accordance with my invention; the end of'the bar carries a cross pin,-

and a lock structure in the form of a cap is slipped over the bar end and has detent abutments engageable with the pin end to lock the cap to the bar when. the cap is shifted axially and partially rotated, the cap then forming an abutment for engagement with the outer side of the hanger bracket to hold the bar against escape from the hanger by the recoil of a caught mail pouch. Provision is made for turning the pin to bring its ends within the circumference of the bar so that, after the locking cap has been removed, the bar may be withdrawn from the hanger for movement away from the door opening.

My invention involves several features of structure and operation, all of which are embodied in the structure shown on the drawing, in which drawing:

(Cl. 258-) r Figure 11s a side elevation of a mail catcher structure supported in front of a mail car door- Way; 'f w Figure 2 is an enlarged-side elevation of the bar end and the adjacent hanger, with the lock structure in diametrical section;

Figure 3 shows the'lock cap body in diametrical section; a

Figure 4 is a section on plane IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view on plane V-V of Figure 2; and v Figure 6 shows the end of the bar partly broken away to show how the locking pin'may be rotated into the bar slot.

Referring to Figure 1, the general arrangement of a catcher structure is shown when in service. The supporting bar Ill extends across-a doorway through supporting hangers II and I2 secured to the door frame adjacent to the door opening, the bar mounting the block l3 from which extends the catcher arm M, a handle [5 extending from the block l3 by means of which the block may. be turned forproper positioning of the arm for such as the hanger I2, this sleeve softening the catching impact against the hanger. A usual means for blocking the recoil movement of the bar has been to inserta pin through a diametrical hole in the bar outside of the hanger 12, such pin having been usually secured to the end of a supporting chain fastened to the outside of the car. Such pin locking means are impractical and uncertain, and I have therefore devised; my improved locking means. 1 7

Referring to Figures 2 to 6 of the drawing, I provide apin or key I! for the end of the bar H! which, when in looking position, has its ends projectingbeyondthe circumference of the bar. The'key may be permanently secured crosswise of the bar, but preferably a longitudinally exthe bar, this arrangementpermitting the bar tov be withdrawn readily from the hanger 12 whenw it is desired to return the'catcher structure to its inoperative position within the car or at one side of the doorway. To hold. the key in either. of its adjusted positions, spring washers 20 may be in-.

serted between thekey and the slot sides.

The lock structure comprises a cylindrical cupshaped housing 2| whose base end may be of generally conical shape or otherwise rounded off. The cap is of suitable metal, and the cylindrical wall thereof has an inner wall part 22 having diametrically opposite longitudinally extending guide slots 23 and 24 for receiving the projecting ends of the key |'l when the key is crosswise of the bar Hi, the inner diameter of the wall portion 22 being such that it will snugly receive the bar end when the cap is slipped thereover.

The wall portion 22 at its inner end has diametrically opposite locking slots 25 and 26 extending a distance longitudinally, and in advance of the locking slots the Wall portion 22 has cam or inclined surfaces or edges 27 and 28 leading from the inner ends of the guide slots 23 and 24 respectively, so that when the cap 2| is slipped axially onto the bar end to receive the ends of the key I! in itsguide slots 23 and 24, and is then turned in clockwise direction (Figure 2), the key ends will be guided along the cam or inclined surfaces for registration with the locking slots 25 and 26, the ends 29 and 30 of the wall part 22 between the inclined surfaces extending a distance inwardly beyond the ends of the inclined surfaces so as to form abutments for the key ends when such ends have come into register with the lock notches and to prevent further rotational movement of the cap.

At its base end the cap 2| has the axial passageway 3| therethrough for a plunger 32 having a head 33 at its outer end, the plunger at its inner end carrying a cylindrical plate or disk 34 of the same diameter as the bar II], a spring 35 between the disk and the cap bottom tending to shift the plunger and the disk inwardly. When the lock cap is removed from the bar, the spring 35 will shift the plunger 32 to hold the disk 34 in its innermost position, the head 33 on the plunger then engaging the outer side of the cap end. When the lock'cap is to be applied, its guide slots 23 and 24 are aligned with the key ends and the cap is then shifted along the bar end until the plunger disk 34 abuts the end of the bar. The ends of the key will then be at the lower ends of the inclined surfaces 21 and 28, and then, when the cap is turned in clockwise direction, the inclines will be carried along the key ends and the cap will be shifted further axially along the bar Ill against the resistance of the spring 35 as the cap shifts along the plunger 32, which is held against inward movement by the abutment of the disk 34 against the end. of the bar Hi. When thelocking slots 25 and 25 come into alignment with the ends of the key H, the cap is reshifted outwardly as the locking slots receive the key ends, the bottoms of the locking slots being then engaged by the key ends, so that the lock cap is locked to the bar end against axial withdrawal therefrom. To release the lock structure'from the bar, it is pushed axially inwardly against the resistance of the spring 35 until the lock slots 25 and 26 release the key ends, and then a slight turning in counterclockwise direction will bring the guide slots 23 and 24 into registration with the key ends, so that the lock structure can readily be withdrawn from the bar.

When the lock structure is secured to the bar, it will hold the bar It] against axial removal from its supporting hangers. In other words, it will hold the bar ill in operating position, and recoil movement of the bar after a catch will be limited by the engagement of the lock structure with the hanger l2. In order to cushion the impact,

a washer 36 of rubber or other suitable cushioning material is interposed between the hanger and the lock structure.

Means are preferably provided for protecting the lock structure and bar end against the weather. I provide an inner and an outer sealing structure for this purpose. The inner sealing structure comprises an annular flat ring 31 of rubberized canvas or other suitable material, and a flat metal backing ring 38. The weather sealing ring 37 seats against the outer edge of the lock cap 2|, and the backing ring is held against the sealing ring as by means of pins or screws 39 extending through the ring and into the cap 2|, the internal diameter of the sealing ring 31 being such as snugly and frictionally to fit the bar H).

The outer sealing structure comprises inner and outer metal annular plates 4|! and 4| and an interposed sealing ring 42 of rubberized canvas or other suitable material, and whose inner diameter'is such as snugly and frictionally to fit the bar H3. The rings 40, 4| and 42 are heldtogether as'by pins or screws 43. The sealing ring 3'! has diametrically opposite passages 44 and 45 for registering with the guide slots 23 and 24 of the lock structure 2|, and. the sealing ring 12 has similar passages'46 and 47. Long pins 48 extend through all of the rings and threadinto the end of the cap 2| and hold the rings against axial displacement. The pins also hold the inner sealing structure against rotation relative to the cap 2|, but the outer sealing structure has arcuate slots 49 for the pins, so that the outer sealing structure may rotate relative to the inner sealing structure. the cap 2| is to be applied for locking the bar I0, the outer seal ring structure is rotated to bring its passages 45 and 41 into alignmentwith the passages 44 and 45 of the inner seal structure and the guide passages 23 and 24 of the cap 2|, so that the cap may pass the ends of the locking tongue ll. When the cap is then rotated for interlock with the key, the frictionalengagement of the outer seal ring structure with the bar It) will hold it against rotation through the extent of the lost motion slots 49, and after rotation of the cap and the inner sealing structure, the guide passages 44 and 45 of the inner seal structure will be out of registration with the passages 46 and 41 of the outer seal ring structure, and the interior of the lock structure and the parts therein will be sealed against the weather. When the cap 2| is turned in reverse direction for removal from the bar, the passages in the sealing ring structures will again be brought into alignment for passage past the ends of the locking key. After removal of the lock structure, the key I! is rotated into the bar slot l3, so that the bar with the catcher thereon may be moved to its inoperative position. When the catcher is again to be used, the bar is placed in its hangers across the door opening, and after the locking pin I! has been rotated to its operative or transverse position, the lock structure 2| is slipped over the bar end and rotated ninety degrees to interlock automatically with the key, and the bar is then held in its operative position, recoil of the bar being taken up by the rubber washer 36, while the rubber sleeve |6 cushions the catching impact. The lock structure is of simple and durable construction, and when in use is efiectively sealed against the Weather.

I have shown a practical and eflicient embodiment of the features of my invention, but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. Lock structure for the supporting bar of a mail catcher, said lock structure comprising projections on the bar end, a lock housing in the form of a cap applicable to the bar end and having guideways receiving said projections for guiding the axial movement of said cap,said cap having lock notches intermediate said guideways and having inclines effective upon rotation of said cap to bring said lock notches into alignment with said projections, and spring means within the cap for engaging the bar end to be compressed when the cap is applied axially to the bar end whereby to resist such rotary movement and to be effective to shift said cap for reception of said projections in said lock notches whereby to lock said cap to said bar end.

2. Locking structure for a mail catcher supporting bar comprising radial projections on the bar end, a lock housing in the form of a'cap for receiving the bar end, said cap having guideways receiving said projections for guiding the axial movement of the cap when applied to the bar, a spring pressed abutment in the cap for engaging the bar end when the cap is axially applied, said cap having locking notches intermediate said guideways and having inclines leading from said guideways to said notches, turning of said cap after axial application to the bar end causing further axial movement of said cap on said bar and engagement of said inclines with said projections to bring said lock notches into alignment with said projections, whereupon said spring abutment becomes effective to shift said cap outwardly for reception of said projections by said lock notches thereby to lock said cap to the bar end.

3. Lock structure for a mail catcher supporting bar comprising a cap adapted to be applied axially to the end of the bar and being then rotatable thereon, means resisting such rotary movement, abutments on said bar and cap, and means effective during rotation of said cap for interlocking said abutments thereby to lock said I slipped inwardly over the bar end a distance and being then rotatable, abutments respectively on said bar and in said cap, spring means within said cap, cam means effective upon turning of said cap for causing further axial inward movement of the cap against the resistance of said spring means and then to release said cap for return axial movementby said spring means, said abutments becoming interlocked during such return axial movement of said cap to'lock said cap against both axial and rotational movement on said bar.

5. In mail pouch catcher structures for railway cars, the combination with the supporting bar and its hangers and a catcher arm mounted on said bar adjacent to one of said hangers, of a lock for the end of the bar at said hanger, said lock being in the form of a cap detachably applied to the bar end, means effective upon application of the cap for locking the cap to the bar whereby said cap may function to prevent shift of said bar out of said hanger, and sealing ring structures mounted on the rim of said cap and intimately surrounding said bar for sealing the interior of said cap against the weather.

6. In mail catcher structure for railway cars the combination with the hangers and the supporting bar extended therethrough and a catcher arm mounted on the supporting bar adjacent one of the hangers, of a separate lock device detachably applicable to the end of the bar outside of one of said hangers, said device comprisinga'cap receiving the bar end, releasable means operable upon application of the cap to the bar end for interlocking the cap to the bar end whereby said cap will function as an abutment to prevent removal of the bar from said hangers.

ERNEST L. WOOLS EY. 

